


on a happy note

by gyozas



Category: Monsta X (Band)
Genre: First Meetings, Fluff, M/M, Some Humor, Strangers, salesman!hoseok, waiter!kihyun
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-09-15
Updated: 2018-09-15
Packaged: 2019-07-12 13:14:58
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,851
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15995966
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/gyozas/pseuds/gyozas
Summary: many good things come unexpectedly in a variety of places, but rarely inside a taxi. this time just happens to be different.





	on a happy note

**Author's Note:**

> ahaha school's been really hectic and i've been frazzled as heck c':
> 
> it's been a while since i wrote something kiho and here it be !! my business class inspired me to write this lol 
> 
> enjoy!
> 
> apologies in advance if you find any errors, i did all this on my phone bc i'm chaotic like that :)))

So, maybe Kihyun forgot to do a little rain check. Literally. He left his apartment in a rush after scarfing down his breakfast, skipping the news’ weather report. It was an abrupt stutter in his daily morning routine. Usually, when he wasn’t running so late for work, Kihyun would let himself be informed of the happenings and whatnot.

But here he was, walking down the streets of the city and _soaked to the bone_. The rain was crashing down immensely and Kihyun stuck out like a sore thumb with no umbrella. His previous cover was an old newspaper but it fell apart from holding much more weight than the headlines.

Bus stop. All Kihyun needed was to sit at a bus stop, wait for the reasonably slow bus to come, and get his ride home. And the good thing was he wouldn’t get any more drenched than he already was. Just a little colder.

Kihyun leaned against a backlit advertisement board and was almost dumb enough to kiss it after melting at its warmth. Thankfully, he affirmed his appreciation with a pat on the plastic screen. He closed his eyes to rest before the bus arrived, sighing deeply.

Somewhere in the middle of hearing the falling rain, Kihyun heard a faint voice yelling, “Hey! Hey there! You with the duffel bag! Hey!” He opened his eyes, a little annoyed, and made eye contact with a female taxi driver. Inside the car, the taxi driver waved at him to get in the vehicle and shouted, “The bus will take too long, get in here!”

Kihyun figured he might as well get in, the car _did_ stop for him and the lady _was_ being nice.

Upon heading towards the taxi, Kihyun tried to shield his head with his arms but it was pointless. He opened the car door and sat down quickly, a squelching sound bouncing off the leather seats. “Thank you,” he breathed and hurriedly clicked on his seatbelt.

Kihyun realized someone else was in the car, sitting on the far right, opposite of him. It was a little unsettling as he felt _two_ pairs of eyes on him, one being the driver waiting for Kihyun to tell her where to go. He looked up and met the face of a dumbfounded man.

Now the other man’s mouth was agape and his eyes were a bit dazed, so he looked somewhat like a dork. But something about the way the man’s ears stuck out almost like that of an elf’s and soft, ruffled hair—it made him look kind of _cute_.

Kihyun was getting carried away, he felt a little cotton-mouthed before asking, “Is there something on my face?” It came off a little rude, though it wasn’t Kihyun’s intention.

Blubbering, the stranger said, “Oh no, nothing’s on your face at all!” He shook his head and began to play with his fingers before murmuring, “It’s just … you’re very … _wet_ .” Kihyun couldn’t help but contort his face. _What kind of remark was that?_ Still, he responded with an awkward laugh. “Yeah, I guess I am.” Kihyun turned to the driver and told her where to drop him off. And the taxi driver began to drive.

Right before he turned towards the car window, the stranger seated next to Kihyun held out a towel. “I meant to say you’re soaked. You should dry yourself off before you catch a cold.” He had a kind smile and oddly enough, Kihyun found himself accepting the man’s offering.

Kihyun wasn’t one to warm up to strangers so easily, but there was something about this one. Something about this man was familiar and comforting. Kihyun decided to poke some fun, testing his waters. “So you’re doing this out of pity?”

The other man widened his eyes before he spoke in a stutter. “N-no! Not at all. I’m doing this out of ….” He paused, unsure of what appropriate word to use. “Out of sympathy?” Kihyun chuckled. “It’s a joke, don’t worry about it.”

Kihyun patted the towel against his face and relished in how soft it was. The cotton felt nice and gentle on his face, it was sensational.

As he continued drying himself off, rubbing the towel against his hair, Kihyun heard the other man speak again. “Well, considering the state you’re in, maybe it’s a _little_ out of pity.” Kihyun removed the towel off his head to frown a “knew it” but the man threw a charming smile and Kihyun’s always been a sucker for such things.

He did his best to top the other man’s comment but not much effort comes through with a scoff and a “Whatever.”

Kihyun’s eyes focused their attention on what seemed to be two tote bags stuffed with towels. He scrunched his eyebrows and pointed to them, asking, “Why do you have so many?”

The other man was staring at Kihyun for too long. A “Huh?” ran out of his mouth five seconds too late. Kihyun didn’t notice. The stranger turned to where Kihyun pointed and shrugged. “Oh, those. I’m a door-to-door salesman. Just happened to be selling towels this time.”

Kihyun clicked his tongue, nodding. “Rough day, today?” The man shook his head “no” and sighed, “Not really, I managed to sell like five. And you came along, so there’s six.”

“Oh, that’s right. What was your name again?” the man asked, his eyes bright. Kihyun responded, pursing his lips. “Hmm, I don’t remember you asking for my name like ever but it’s Kihyun.”

The man chuckled, his shoulders shaking. “Alright, _Kihyun_ . I’m Hoseok. Pleased to meet you.” Kihyun shifted into a more comfortable position, ready to engage in a full-on conversation, facing _Hoseok_. Maybe Kihyun was a little out of it from serving too many tables today but when his eyes met Hoseok’s, Kihyun felt breathless.

Somewhere along the road, past the small talk about their jobs and other things concerning their busy lives, Kihyun and Hoseok grew closer and found themselves bantering with each other more and more.

“I think there’s something wrong with how you’re advertising your products. I swear you have twenty towels left in there.” Kihyun claimed, prudently. Hoseok crossed his arms across his chest and raised his eyebrows. “Is that a challenge, Mister _Waiter_?”

Kihyun snorted, the sound quite goofy. “No, but try me. Try advertising the towels with me. As a _potential consumer_ , I’ll point out something.”

Kihyun had a smug smile on his face, and not that it made Hoseok feel things but it made Hoseok _feel things_. “You’re a very cheeky person,” grinned Hoseok, “but sure, I’ll do it for you.”

The taxi stopped at a red traffic light, and the driver chimed in. “You two grew onto each other quickly.” Hoseok and Kihyun cracked up, their agreement loud and clear. They laughed even louder when the driver stepped on the pedal, causing them to bump back into their seats abruptly.

When Hoseok calmed down and was ready for his “presentation”, he cleared his throat and tightened his lips. Kihyun supposed Hoseok was “getting into character”. And Kihyun was right, someone brand new came to life before his eyes. Hoseok appeared more comical than ever.

Hoseok began with a great enthusiasm. “Hi there, if I could please have a moment of your time, that would be great. I promise I won’t take too long.” Confidently, the salesman held out his hand to shake the other’s. Kihyun had the decency to smile shyly as he shook Hoseok’s hand gently, letting the salesman continue.

(The light pink dusting on Kihyun’s cheeks was an underlying sign that he was already liking this too much.)

“My name is Shin Hoseok and I work for Sunnyside Inc. My company recently released a new line of household products, and the products I just happen to be promoting are towels.”

Hoseok slipped out an olive-green towel but added some flair to the motion, as if he were a magician pulling a rabbit out of his hat. He started, “Oh but wait, pardon me and my manners, I forgot to ask you for your name!”

To himself, Kihyun thought, _What is it with him and this formal talk?_ However, as silly as Hoseok sounded, Kihyun grinned with all his teeth showing as he repeated his name.

“Well, _Kihyun_ , what you see here may be just a simple bathing towel. But I assure you, the cotton of this towel is a wonderful cotton. It’s supima cotton and its lasting fiber is what gives these towels their _good_ strength, _lovely_ color, and that _pleasant_ “soft to the touch” feeling.”

It’s been two minutes, but Hoseok sped through everything he said. It was a little hard for Kihyun to keep up but it _did_ keep Kihyun on his toes, anticipating for what else the salesman did have to say. About a towel.

There was a twinkle in Hoseok’s eyes and it made him glow brighter than he already did at the beginning of his advertising.

Kihyun admitted Hoseok was pretty cute for a stranger-turned-acquaintance-turned-(hopefully) friend. It was wrong of him to challenge Hoseok’s marketing skills, the salesman was very convincing with his body language and charms.

Not that things started to go down the drain or anything but the moment Hoseok pretended to notice Kihyun holding on to the towel that he’d lended from before, the salesman slipped and “flopped”.

“Oh, Kihyun! Why, you never told me you already one of my towels! Is it alright? Do you like it? How’s the quality? Is that towel the first one you’ve bought from us? Is it to your liking?”

Hoseok was bombarding Kihyun with questions all over and with such a feigned shock. Kihyun had enough of holding back his laughter. He erupted like a volcano when he laughed. Kihyun even went so far as to hold onto a headrest of the backseat, to get a grip of himself.

Meanwhile, Hoseok was stunned. There was this surprised look on his face, but the curve of his lips meant the surprise was a pleasant one. Hoseok was quite pleased with Kihyun’s reaction, actually.

It was strange but Hoseok felt his heart _race_. Or maybe this is the sort of feeling salesmen get when they know they’ve won.

Hoseok hoped his impression was better than decent. His tone was amusing as he asked, “All things considered, your reaction included, are you gonna admit I’m an amazing salesman?” He looked down at the little swirl or crown or whatever it was called in Kihyun’s hair and found it more than endearing, waiting for the other’s response.

Kihyun slipped his hand off the headrest, repositioned himself to sit up properly, and sighed with his heart full. “Alright, _Mr. Confident_. You did very well in convincing me with your rhetoric.”

Hoseok stuck his tongue out playfully and Kihyun didn’t deny the urge to smack the salesman’s pretty face. “You were in denial. Just call me, Mr. Fantastic,” razzed Hoseok. The salesman even had the nerve to bat his eyes at Kihyun, it ticked the latter off in a “I hate you but I love you too” kind of way.

And that was bizarre. They were strangers for the first ten minutes of the ride, but now they were conversing with each other as if they’re best friends.

One can love their friends, right? That’s valid. It’s common and it’s normal. It happens?

There was a comfortable silence between the two after the taxi driver announced they were getting close to Kihyun’s place. She reminded them she was driving to Kihyun’s place first for the sake of his health and it was closer. Hoseok smiled, he didn’t seem to mind a thing at all.

Kihyun chirped, “Oh, that’s right.” He rummaged around his wet bag for his wallet. He slipped it out after hurried efforts and asked, “How much was this towel?”

Hoseok’s lips tugged upwards, reaching all the way up to his ears. “You don’t have to pay for it, _keep it._ I gave it to you in the first place anyways.”

Kihyun protested with a hushed voice, “No no, I insist, please. I’m sure it’s not super costly. Just let me pay, Hoseok.”

The salesman, however, was adamant on not letting Kihyun pay. He reached out a hand to rest on top of Kihyun’s, it was ice-cold and Hoseok felt a little concerned. He _tsked_ his tongue and exhaled gently, “Think of it as a gift from me to you. Not to get all Christian or anything but think of this as an act of a good Samaritan, which is me.”

The other made a face with his lower lip jutting out. Kihyun felt embarrassed with Hoseok’s hand resting on his and making him feel a certain way, making him feel something he couldn’t label. He liked it, though; the gesture was kind and reassuring in spite of his embarrassment.

Somewhere in the back of his head, Kihyun thought, _He really is something. Guess that’s why he’s a good salesman._ But he pushed that thought further and further away, letting himself enjoy the nice, intimate moment between the two of them.

Hoseok’s expression turned into one of mischief with his lips breaking out into a smarmy grin. “I personally believe it would do you plenty of good if you think of it as a memory of me.”

Kihyun felt his cheeks flush, _Has Hoseok always been like this?_ The salesman really did have his way with words, it was unfair. Kihyun was at a loss, no longer able to bite back.

However, when he noticed Hoseok’s hand was still resting on his, Kihyun couldn’t help but feel his insides melt and he himself was feeling so _soft_. He felt a strange yet subtle happiness fizzing in his stomach, like bubbles in a carbonated drink.

Kihyun pried Hoseok’s hand off of his with his free hand and breathed, “You come off really strong, you know.” It wasn’t necessarily a complaint.

Hoseok, with his likeable personality, rebutted, “I leave a lasting impression, which is very nice if I do say so myself.”

“Kihyun, and I’m being honest with you here, I’m _fetching_.”

And Kihyun burst with laughter. “For a fine salesman, you sure sound like … oh, I don’t know. An English major.” Hoseok placed a hand against his chest and held his chin up high. “I’ll take that as a compliment. This means I haven’t lost my touch with my English minor.”

To that Kihyun retorted, “No, you sound like an old, sophisticated man from the Victorian era.” Hoseok lowered his chin and glowered up into Kihyun’s eyes, a goofy smile stretching across his lips. “Just not as grim and nicer and better.”

Kihyun giggled, almost like a giddy teenager. He felt his insides tingling in a funny way, it was so peculiar. This connection they had, it was so refreshing and silly and endearing and good. It was too sweet.

Out of nowhere, Hoseok began to murmur, “Earlier, when I was … uhm … staring at you …” Kihyun tuned in a little more, eyes wide with dilated pupils, curious of what Hoseok had to say.

Hoseok caught on with Kihyun’s curiosity and chuckled. “It’s because you were dripping with good looks.” His eyes glinted and they did not miss Kihyun _blushing_ , adorably embarrassed.

Kihyun thought, _How could he? How could he pull something like that so cooly and quickly? Be all suave and smooth? It’s just not right and certainly isn’t fair at all._

So Kihyun groaned with his teeth gnashing and his eyes closed tight. “Stop it stop it stop it. Don’t—why would you? Don’t say things like that.”

Kihyun heard the zip of Hoseok’s seatbelt and felt him leaning closer with a soft laugh. “You’re cute.” And then Kihyun regained his will to deadpan, “ _Enough.”_ It only made the salesman fall back and laugh, careful not to hurt himself against his seat.

Silence returned shortly after. Somehow, both Hoseok and Kihyun’s hands ended near each other, just shy of touching. Hoseok hummed, looking out the car window, “You must be my waiter the next time I visit your restaurant.”

Kihyun looked at Hoseok, perplexed. “I’m sorry?”

Hoseok beckoned his head at Kihyun. “I want _you_ to be my waiter when I eat at your restaurant.” No longer was the confident, super-smooth salesman sitting next to Kihyun. Instead, there was someone who was a little shy, like a teenage boy.

Then Hoseok asked, so sweetly and gently, “Please?”

Kihyun’s belly swooped as he let out a breathy laugh. “It doesn’t work that way but if the odds aren’t against you, we’ll see.” He smiled so hard, the dimples in his cheeks began to show.

Hoseok noticed them and felt his heart soar. He wanted to slip something in, see what would happen if he “crossed the line” one more time. “I’m sure you’ll leave me floored with more of your dripping good looks and service. I’d probably be over the moon.” The salesman placed a hand over his cheek, sighing dreamily for that extra effect.

Kihyun frowned, his walnut chin appearing. He shook his head and laughed again, this time quietly. “You’re awful. So very _very_ awful.” Hoseok stuck his tongue out and merrily sang, “But you _love!_ it.”

The rain lessened, it wasn’t as horrifying as before. Just a drizzle. But the taxi did stop in front of Kihyun’s apartment building meaning Hoseok and Kihyun’s time together had come to an end.

Both smiled at each other a little sadly. Kihyun was reluctant to leave. He didn’t want to go yet. Hoseok has been so nice and funny and great and phenomenal. He made Kihyun’s day.

Hoseok made the prior twenty minutes so delightful, Kihyun definitely wouldn’t mind feeling this way if he ever saw Hoseok again. And Kihyun hoped with all of his heart that some way and somehow they’d see each other again.

Kihyun must say something, must do something to end their meeting on a good note. _But what, though?_

On the other side, Hoseok was beginning to feel a hint of emptiness inside. For the past twenty minutes or so, he had a wonderful time. Filled to the brim with an intangible yet lovely kind of feeling, Hoseok didn’t want it to go away anytime soon. The fact was, Hoseok’s grown an extreme fondness for Kihyun and Hoseok didn’t want to let go of him right when they just met each other.

The taxi driver let out a deep breath and eyed them in her rearview mirror. “Alright, you children,” she said, “C’mon now. Just give each other your phone numbers, you two can talk more there! You don’t have to not ever see each other again, you know.” She was being genuine and it made the two men feel more at ease.

Hoseok shrugged and nodded, agreeing. “She’s right, Kihyun.” With a stupid smirk on his face and a wiggle of his eyebrows, he requested, “Kihyun, I’d like for you to give me your number.”

Kihyun scoffed. “You’re absurd.”

“Oh, but what’s this? You already had your phone open? On the contacts app? Right when our taxi driver suggested the idea? You _know_ you wanna do it.”

Hoseok winked at Kihyun and was back to his playful side again. Kihyun couldn’t do anything aside from letting out a weak “s t op.” as they (finally) exchanged their numbers.

Kihyun clicked his seatbelt off and queried the taxi driver how much he had to pay. But the taxi driver protested, “No, child! You don’t owe me anything, but you do owe yourself a hot shower. Don’t argue with me, boy. You won’t win.”

Kihyun opened his mouth to say something, but nothing came out. He simply nodded his head, smiled politely at the lady, and waved a small goodbye at Hoseok before stepping out the car door.

Hoseok looked at Kihyun fondly and waved one last time with a soft smile, falling apart when Kihyun mirrored him. His brain short-circuited when Kihyun asked, “Text me when you get home safe and sound, alright?”

Hoseok’s eyes widened and he nodded aggressively. “Yes, Kihyun. Yes, I will! I _will_ text you when I get home.” He thought to himself, _I will. I will I will I will._ He intended to call Kihyun later … if Kihyun allowed.

However, knowing himself, Hoseok would call anyways.

Kihyun took in Hoseok’s reaction and it made him beam one last time before he closed the door. He sped up the steps of the apartment building and rushed inside, away from the rain and closing the door immediately. Kihyun leaned back against the wooden door, breathing heavily, and stared at the dim light above. A bright smile cracked through Kihyun’s lips and he made a sound that wasn’t human.

Maybe Kihyun looked like a five-year old having a weird fit, but he could care less. He was cheering silently with his heart thumping wildly and his feet skipping while throwing fists into the air, all in the main lobby. There was even a little hop in his step as he went up the stairs to his floor and into his cozy apartment.

Later, when Hoseok was back home, he hurried inside to text Kihyun. He tried to bite back his teethy grin but it couldn’t be stopped.

When Hoseok called unexpectedly, minutes later, it was a shock to Kihyun but he answered immediately. It would be an understatement to say Hoseok’s face lit up when he heard Kihyun’s “Hello?”. His face was just about ready to break from smiling so much, and not because he already did so many times at people in the street. But the thing was, Hoseok didn’t mind at all.

Over the phone, the two discussed what products Hoseok might sell in the future with some comments here and there.

“What about headbands? I think that would make really good business. Trendy, cool, and uh … what’s the word … sweat-absorbent! People would go nuts for it because you can wear them everywhere! Think about it, Kihyun!”

“I don’t know, Hoseok. You’re the business man here, not me. I’m just a consumer.”

“So you’re saying you’d still buy, regardless of what I’m selling?”

“If it provides some sort of benefit for me, yes. Just keep in mind that I’m not going to order a whole kitchen knife set or whatever. I have no need for such things.”

“Okay then, say no more. You can just be my support system. The best one there is.”

Kihyun heard the smile in Hoseok’s voice over the phone and did just the same, softly.

The two ended up talking very late into the night. And it was a pleasant thing, to hear each other’s voice.  
  
  
  
  


 

 

Even if today didn’t start off well, Kihyun was more than glad his day gets to end on a happy note. He wasn’t expecting to be so fluttery and soft and so _alive_ at night, especially as a waiter.

Hoseok stumbled into Kihyun’s life out of nowhere. And again, while Kihyun was never one to warm up to strangers so easily …

 Maybe Hoseok was an exception.  


**Author's Note:**

> this is rusty (as always) ohdear but on a good note:
> 
> friends, hoseok's just too smooth of a dude (but he's also a huge softie ;u;)


End file.
